Assembling and lasting machine



May 8, 1923. 1,454,562

J. H. REED,

ASSEMBLI UG AND LASTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 16 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENILEWZ JGKM 1 mwwa 2% May 8, 1923.

J. H REED ASSEMBLING AND LASTING MACHINE I Filed Aug. 16, 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 INVENILEIYI Ma a; 1923.

1,454,562 J. H. REED ASSBMBLING AND LASTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 16, 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 77 07 if a9 May 8, 1923.

J. H. REED ASSEMBLING AND LASTING MACHINE INvEm m: W)6.KM

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J. H. REED ASSEMBLING AND LASTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 16 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 y AM.

Patented ay 8, 1923.

NE ER JAMES H. REED, OF SWAMPSCOTT, IvIASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HAMEL'SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ASSEMBLING AND LASTING IIIAOHINE.

Application filed August 16, 1919.

To (all w 720m it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Swampscott, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Assembling and Lasting Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has for its object anew and improved assembling and lasting machine of a type not heretofore employed which shall have greater efiiciency than machines commonly used. The machine embodying my invention consists primarily in an elastic lasting member supported on the edges of a suitable support so that when the last is moved in a plane substantially normal to the plane of the elastic member, the elastic member will be stretched, thereby working the upper toward the edges of the sole. Since, as is well known to those skilled in the art, it is essential that the centre line of the vamp shall conform tothe centre line of the last and the vamp shall not be displaced during the lasting process, I provide means for pressing the elastic lasting member against the vamp and consequently the vamp against the last along a portion of the centre line of the vamp and means to maintain this pressure as the elastic memher is stretched over the last. This result is accomplished by the use of a so-called yielding centre line presser, which holds the vamp in place so securely during the operation that it can hardly be displaced even by the use of pincers.

The machine embodying my invention is provided with wipers and a pincer plate which co-operate to fold in and stretch the upper around the edge of the last after it has been stretched to conform to the shape of the rounded portion of the last by the action of the elastic lasting member.

To enable the operator to work more rapidly and conveniently on the toe of the shoe, a movable lastsupport of novel construction is provided. The construction and operation of the members which perform the lasting operation on the heel of the shoe are novel, but as they constitute a separate Serial No. 317,930.

invention, are made the subject ofanother application for patent.

While I am aware that attempts have been made to la t shoes by the use of elastic air bags, such attempts have, so far as I know, been unsuccessful owing in part to the fact that the stretching operation does not begin along the centre line of the upper and proceed uniformly and equally on both sides toward the edge of the sOle,

and furthermore, because it has not been possible to keep the upper from slipping during the lasting operation. The use of an elastic lasting member stretched over the last by the edges of a supporting member and the use of the centre line presser make possible the lasting of shoes by means of I Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4.4t of Figure 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 3.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Fig. 7 is a view of the elastic lasting member removed from the machine.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the support for th elastic lasting member, together with the lasting member and securing means therefor.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Figure 8.

Figs. 10 and 11 show two positions of the rubber lasting member and centre line presser.

Fig. 12 is a section on line 12-12 of Figure 11 showing the position of the parts at about the lowest point of the movement of the last.

Fig. 13 is a detail of the adjusting mech anism for the wipers.

Fig. 14 is a detail of the toe wiper operating mechanism.

Fig. 15 is a detail showing an end view of a cam bracket.

Referring now to the drawings. at A is shown the base of the machine, at last and at C the foot treadle.

In Figure 7 there is shown at 11 an e astic lasting member preferably made from molded india rubber or other snita.v e elastic material. This lasting member forms somewhat to the shape of the toe of the shoe and has downwardly extending edges 12 provided with a head 1? The elastic lasting member is supported by the upper edges of a hollow supporting member composed oi the two parts and 15 which are pivoted to each other. as shown at 16, at apointadjacent the fee. so that the rear end of the support can open sidewise. These parts 11 and 15 of the supporthave a groove 1: in their outside wall, and the bead 13 of the elastic lasting member lies in this groove being held in place therein by clamps 18 secured to the support by screws 19. This method oi construction is such that the rubber lasting member will be stretched over the rounded upper edges 01": the laterally yielding support but will not be injured by the repeated stretching to which it is subjected in the use of the machine.

The hollow supportingmember rests on a plate 120 and is held in position thereon by a projection 121 surrounding the pivot 16, which-projection enters a hole in the plate, as shown in Figure 1. On each side of the supporting member is a lr" 122 which is connected by a pivot 123 to a bracket 124- which is dovetailed in crosssection (see Fig. ll and slides in a dovetail groove in the plate 120. The outer 1 of the bracket is turned down and i vided with an adjusting screw 125 which contacts with the edge ot' the plate and thus limits the motion of the two hal es of the supporting member toward each other. These devices prevent the sides of the supporting member otmiing too close together and doing injury to the shoe or the cl tic lasting member as might be the case i. the operator should attempt to last a shoe having a toe which was wider than the s; between the upper edges of the support. it will be understood that the support will be properly adjusted for each size of shoes to be lasted. and if a shoe is to be lasted which is outside the range 01' the particular ing member and its support. another lasting member and support can be quickly sub stituted.

The centre line presser (see Figs. 1 11 and 12) comprises preferably a rubber contactmember 20 which contacts with the elastic lasting member, and a rigid backing 21 provided with a lug which is pivoted at 22 to the forked end of a slide 23. The slide is guided in a sleeve 2 1 and held normally upward by a spring 25 acting on a pin 26 in the slide The sleeve 24 is grooved to cooperate with a feather 2 on the slide 23 to prevent the centre line presser from rotating.

The support for the last comprises a post 27 (see Figs. 1 and 6) provided with a pin received within theordinary hole in the last. The post 27 slidablein a sleeve 29 mounted in a stirrup 7. The interior of the sleeve is grooved to co-operate with a feather i to prevent the last post rotating. The stirrup '7 in which the last post is mounted is U-shaped (see Fig. 6') and the ends 0 and (Z are horizontal and move in ways 8 formed in the frame of the machine so that the stirrup 7 and the last post can be moved toward or away from the elastic lasting member 11. This movement is etl'ected by a hand lever 9 pivoted on a shaft 10 which also has fixed thereto an arm l Ol which is connected by a link 102 to the stirrup 7. By this the last may be adjusted relatively to the elastic lasting member so that the toe of the last be in exactly right position over the elastic lasting member or centered to produce the best results. The last support may be retained in adjusted position by friction of the parts, or if desired, lock or latch mechanism (not shown) of any suitable description maybe employed. The operator can easily ascertain where the last is properly positioned because he sees the parts very much as they are shown in the plan view (Fig. 2) and he has an unobstructed vision around the toe. The last post is held normally toward the operator by the spring 30. The last post is provided with what is substantiz'illy a universal joint located between the pin 28 and the spring 30.- To accomplish this result, the post is made in parts corinected by pivots 31 and 32 at right angles to each other and normal to the axes of the parts through which they pass, This construction is such that the operator, in performing his work. first takes the lastand places it on the pin 28, the post 27being then pushed by the spring 30 up toward the operator. The last is then in substantially the position shown in Figure 2. The operator next swings the last about the pivot until it is in the position shown in dotted lines in lf'gure 2. that is, it liessidewise to the operator. He then swings the last about the pin 28 as a pivot to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 at which time the toe of the last points obliquely up toward th operator, the centre line of the last being substantially parallel with the centre line of the post. This is the most convenient position to enable the operator to place the upper on the last as he can see around the toe and look lengthwise of the last. After he has centered th upper on the shoe and while holding the upper in place on the last by means of pincers, he swings the last first about the pin 28 to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2 and then about the pivot 32 to the original position. He then pushes the last away from him slightly,

' thereby compressing the spring 30 and forcing the universal joint in the post 27 into the corresponding hole in the stirrup 7 which prevents any movement about the pivots 31 and 32 and renders the post practically a rigid slidable member.

The last is then forced down upon the elastic lasting member by mechanism operated by t-readle- C which will now be de scribed. At 35 is shown a foot pivoted at 36 to a sleeve 37 mounted on one end of an arm 38. The arm 38 is carried on a rod 39 surrounded by a sleeve 17 on which are cut rack teeth. The sleeve moves in ways 10 secured to the frame of the machine. A cam bracket 40 partly surrounding rod 39, is screwed to the outer face of ways 40 and terminates in a cam surface 40* arranged to o-operate with a pin 39 fixed to the rod 39. The rod 39-is provided with a pin 41 movable in a spiral slot 12 in the sleeve 47 so that the first part of the downward movement of the rod 39 will swing the arm 38 through an arc of 90 from the dotted line position shown in Figure 2 to the full line position shown in that figure at which time pin 39 will have ridden off the surface 40 in position to pass downwardly between the edge of the bracket 40 and the machine frame. Further downward movement of the sleeve will then move rod 39 downwardly. The downward movement of the sleeve 17 is produced by the movement of the treadle C acting through a link 43 and a rack 44 which engages a gear wheel 45. This gear wheel is is on a shaft 46 which carries a second gear wheel 103 which is engaged by the rack teeth on the sleeve 17. A spring 18 serves to hold the treadle C in normally raised position.

The construction of the toe and side wipers will now be described, it being understood that these wipers are not operated until after the depression of the treadle C has pushed the last with the upper thereon down into the elastic lasting member as far as is necessary to bring the bottom of the last into proper position relative to the wipers. The wipers consist of plates 19, 50 and 51 slidable inwardly in a plane substantially parallel with the bottom of the last, the side wipers being preferably cut away. as shown in dotted line's in Fig. 2 to clear the end wiper to allow intimate cooperation of the wipers. The mechanism for moving the wipers together with the elastic lasting member 11, the plate 120, the centre line gripper 20 and its supporting mechanism, are all carried on a. slide 52 which is movable toward and from the last B to position them properly with relation to the particular last which is being used. This enables the machineto be instantly adjusted for different sizes of shoes. This movement is produced by a gear 53 co-operating with the rack 54 (see Figs. land 3) formed on the bottom of the slide 52; said gear is moved by ahand lever 55. of two pins 126, 126, engaging holes 127 (see Fig. 5) in the gear 53. One or the other but not both will engage one of the series of holes 127 and thus a line adjustment is obtained. The two pins are slidable in lugs'128 in the frame of the machine and are held toward the gear by springs 129. They are pulled out of the holes by a rod 130-operated by a pivoted latch 131 on the lever handle 55.

At 56, 56 are shown two levers pivoted at 57, 57 (see Fig. 2) and each provided on its upper end with a cam roll 58 which is located in the groove a of a cylindrical cam 59. These two cylindrical cams 59 are mounted on a cross shaft 60 provided on its outer end with a handle 61. The lower end of each lever 56 is forked to receive a pin 62 mounted on a block 63 located in an opening 64 in the wiper slide 65 to the inner end of which is attached the corresponding side wiper (see Figs. 2 and 13). The lower edge of the block 63 (see Fig. 1) is inclined, as shown at 3, and co-operates with a wedge 132. An

The gear is locked in place by one I adjusting screw 66 having a thumb nut 67 on its end is secured to the block 63 and the wedge 132 is likewise moved by an adjusting screw 66, and thumb nut 67. By loosening the wedge 132 and moving the block 63 to the desired position and then tightening the wedge, the position of the block and consequently the position of the effective edge of the wiper may be adjusted relatively to the side of the last.

The toe wiper 51 is also actuated by the lever handle 61. The cross rod 60 which is moved by the handle 61 has on it a cam 13%. This cam engages two opposite pins 135 (see Figs. 1 and 1%) on two arms 6 and f of a lever 136 pivoted at 137 to the slide 52. The lever 136 is prolonged beyond the side arms 6 and f and is formed into a ball g which engages the block 69 located in an opening '70 in the toe wiper slide '71. The toe wiper is also adjustable toward or from the last by means of a pair of adjusting Screws '72. 72 and nuts '73 and wedge it 74 is shown what I term a pincer plate. This plate is carried on three pins 75 secured to a spider 76.- See Figs. 1 and 2). This spider has a boss it through a hole in which passes the sleeve 37 which carries the foot The upper end of the sleeve is secured rigidly to the arm 38. lVithin the sleeve is a rod 138 having a pin 139 on its lower end which passes through a slot 1&0 in the sleeve 3'? and secures the spider 76 to the rod 138, permitting the foot 35 to slide relatively to the pincer plate 7 About the sleeve 37 is a spring;' 141 the upper end of which bears against the under side or" the arm 38. The upper end of the rod 138 is forked and is provided with a cam lever 142 by means of which the pincer plate 74 can be held up out of engagement with the work when the toot 35 is in contact with the last. This entire mechanism is swung over the work or swung back out of the way by the movement of the treadle C, as previously described.

In lasting a shoe, and after the last with the upper on it has been properly positioned over the ..tie lasting ...embcr 11, the treadle C is depressed and the toot 35 and pincer plate 7 1 are swung around into pcsition over the last, the cam lever 1&2 being depressed to place the spring 1 1-1 under tension and raise the pincer plate. The further downward movement of the treadle forces the (st down into the last ng met: her. W hen the proper position is reached A nis time, the is held down yie dinp 'ly by the spring 1&1,

and the edges of the upper rest on the top surface of the wipers, (see 11). The

wipers are then operated and they push the edges of the upper into the space between the bottom of the last and the pincer plate, as shown in Figure 12, and the pincer plate holds the edge of the upper over the edge of the wipers and prevents it bacon ing disengaged from the wipers so that the wipers exert a powerful pressure on the upper. This construction very much increases the effectiveness of the wiper mechanism, for the wipers hold the edge of the upper firmly until the strain on the upper hecomes as great as is desirable, and then the yielding of the pincer plate permits the edge of the upper to be drawn over the edge of the wiper. This combination of the pincer plate and wipers is an important fea ture of my invention. Then the wipers have reached their extreme inward position, the parts are in the position shown in Figure 12. The tr idle C is then released and this releases the toot and the pincer plate T l which automatically swing out of the way as previously described. At this time, the wipers still remain in the position shown in Figure 12. The spring surrounding the last post holds the last forcibly against the under side of the wipers, and this pinches the edge of the upper between the wipers and the insole so that the upper is held securely in position and under tension.

he spring 25 which operates the centre line presser 20 also assists in holding the toe of the last forcibly against the under side of the wipers.

fit this time, the entire bottom surface of the shoe inside of the marginal edge of the wipers is exposed to the operators view, and he can quickly and easily insert the tacks or other f: stenings to secure the edge of the upper to the insole until i can be stitched to the "feather on the insole. The fact that the entire central portion of the insole is exposed to view, makes the operators worl: in inserting the tack or other iastenings very easy.

By making; the lower edge of the wiper as sharp as can be without injury to the leather and by the operator forcing the wipers in until the edge of the wiper is over the apex of the angle between the feather in and the protruding edge oi? the insole, it is possible to force the upper into angle more perfectly than here are been possible. This is clearly shown in Figure 12. p

The hereinbefore described machine will be seen to have certain important advantag, s over the methods and machines heretofore in use. Tn the first place, it takes the place of and therefore does away with the pullingovor machine and it does away with the necessity for employing hand pincers to pull up the upper around the edges of the last. The work done on my improved machine is quite as perfect as can be done by previous methods or machines, and the work can be turned out more rapidly owing to the lessenng of the number of steps in the procedure.

A further important advantage is the fact that uppers can be lasted on so-called nobby lasts without resorting to a molding step. The elastic lasting member 11 stretches the the upper uniformly over such a last and produces the requisite smoothness over that part of the last which is between the toe and the ball of the foot.

I claim is n a machine of the character described, a lon itudinally elastic lasting member, supporting means therefor and a yielding centre gripper acting through said elastic lasting member to press the lasting member forcibly against the shoe along a predetermined line during; the lasting operation.

2. in a machine of the character described, an elastic lasting member, supporting means therefor, a center presser acting through said elastic lasting member to press tne latter against the shoe during the lasting operation, and means tor moving the shoe on the last in a line substantially normal to the plane ot the lasting member while pressed by said press-er.

3. In a machine of the character described, a last, a support therefor, an elastic lasting member, means for supporting its edge, said means being made in a plurality of parts.

pivotally connected and yieldable outwardly, said last and lasting means being movable relatively to each other in a line substantially normal to the plane of the lasting member.

4. In a machine of the class described, means to support a last, means to hold a shoe upper immovably against the last along a median line during the lasting operation,- and means to stretch the upper over the last in both directions from said median line while the upper is so held against the last along said median line.

5. In a machine of the class described, means to support a last, a flexible diaphragm actuable to stretch a shoe upper over said last, and means pressing said diaphragm against the upper of a shoe on said last to prevent movement of the upper on the last at the place of pressure during the stretchmg.

6. In a machine of the class described, means to support a last, an elastic lasting member, means to move said last and member relatively to stretch a shoe upper over said last, and means to define the position on the last from which the stretching takes place.

7. In a machine of the character described, an elastic lastingmember, a last, a support for the last permitting movement of the last in a line normal to the plane of the lasting member, a plunger rotatable about its axis and contacting with the bottom of the last to push the last against the said elastic lasting member, and plunger actuating means including a pin and slot connection by which in the first portion of the downward movement of the plunger the plunger is swung into position over the last and thereafter pushes the last against the elastic lasting member.

8. In a machine of the character described, an elastic lasting member, a last, a sliding support tor the last. and a. sleeve in which. said support is mounted, said support being provided intermediate its ends with two pivots at right-angles to each other, whereby the last is movable in two planes at rightangles to each other when the pivots are out of the sleeve and is immovable except for the sliding movement when the pivots are in the sleeve.

9. In a machine of the class described, upper stretching and lasting instrumentalt ties, and a support for a last movable from a position to present the last to the operator substantially on end and out of cooperative relation to said instrumentalities to allow the upper to be fitted thereover to a position sole up and in cooperative relation to said instrumentalities.

10. In a machine of the class described, upper stretching and lasting instrumentalities, a support for a last movable from a position to present the last to the operator substantially on end and out of cooperative relation to said instrumentalities to allow the upper to be fitted thereover to a position sole up and in cooperative relation to said instrumentalities, and means to retain the last in the last mentioned position.

11'. In a machine of the class described, upper stretching and lasting instrumentalities, a support for a last movable from aposition to present the last to the operator substantially on end and out of cooperative relation to said instrumentalit-ies to allow the upper to be fitted thereover to a position sole up and in cooperative relation to said instrumentalities, and means acting on bodily movement of said support to retain the last in the last mentioned position.

12. In a machine of the character described, an elastic lasting member, a support therefor the edges of which are substantially parallel with and outside of the periphery of the last, said support having a groove in its outside edge along a line below the top edge thereof, and said elastic lasting member having a rib to be received within the groove, and means for securing the rib in the groove.

13. In a machine of the character de-' scribed, an elastic lasting member, a support therefor, a last, a last post movable to allow the last to be moved toward the elastic lasting member in a line normal to the plane of said lasting member, a support for the la st post, and means to move the support to position the last over the elastic lasting member.

14. In a machine of the character described, an elastic lasting member, a support therefor, a last, a last post movable to allow the last to be moved toward the elastic lasting member in a line normal to the plane of said lasting member, a U-shaped support having laterally extending portions on its side members, ways to receive said members, said last post being supported on said U- shaped support, and means to move the support to position the last over the elastic lasting member.

15. In a machine of the character described, a last, an elastic lasting member, a hollow support therefor having the general contour of the portion of the shoe to be lasted, a yielding support for the last, wipers movable parallel to the bottom of the last, a I

plunger to push the last downward against a wedge for fixing the adjusted position of the elastic lasting member and a removably said Wiper plate. 10 mounted pincer plate yieldingly held toward l'r. In a lasting machine, Wiper plates, at the Wipers. lever for actuating each of said plates, cams 5 16. In a lasting machine, a Wiper plate, for actuating said levers and a common means for actuating the same, an adjusting means for actuating said cams.

screw for varying the relative position of In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. 15 said Wiper plate and actuating means, and JAMES H. REED. 

